Buy anything cool lately?

Just a few new Amtrak cars.  3 of the 13 ...   Not pictured are the Viewliner II baggage car, baggage / dorm, & diner in their current Phase III modified paint scheme along with another 6 Amfleet coaches and a Food Service Car.  I honestly don't know which one as that box arrives today.  Hoping for a Cafe, but I will be happy with a Club or Dinette as well.

My first 3rd Rail Piece. The 2005 DM&IR Yellowstone. So. Much. Detail.

@Chris1985 posted:

So. Much. Detail.

Perfect. Wording. For. Star. Trek. Day!  At least Mr. Shatner would agree.

That is nice looking locomotive.

I took the Marx Pioneer set out for a test run. Balky reverse unit, but that cleared up quickly. It is a real shame about the faded decal on the tender.

The lack of a pilot truck is absurd. Looks really funny when it goes in front of the window, nothing but daylight under the first half of the loco.

I think I will add a pilot truck.

Best, John

sorry, wrong vid in the last post,

@GG1 4877 man oh man- those Golden Gate Depot cars are something. Thanks for sharing- between those pics and what I got today, the straw has broke the camel’s back! I need to ditch O-42 and my affinity for long straight aways because I’m missing out on way too much good Amtrak- not to mention the 21 inchers that have already been produced!!

This piece of Amtrak Motive Power Came in the mail today- love the Phase IV scheme and that it’s TMCC:

Lionel Amtrak Dash 8 (8-32bwh) PhIV w/ TMCC, RS, Odyssey

Passsing the yard in progress

Found a work around to smoothly run Legacy/TMCC lash-ups. Going to try Dash 8(prototypical) in the lead next

Got these last week- along with a BPC.

K-Line TCA exclusive “Front Runner” with Skookum cherries Trailer

K-Line U.S. Air Force 2-bay Hopper

@StevefromPA Nice looking Dash-8!  I rode the Southwest Chief when they were new and in the Pepsi Can scheme.  I've always wanted one for when I build my 1990 era Southwest Chief. 

I also caught one out the window of the Capitol Limited in 2014 while we were stopped in Pittsburgh.

Also some quick shots of the new GGD baggage dorms. These just started on Amtrak last year.

Thanks @GG1 4877 !! It Runs great and, I hAvent had to open it, but holy cow does the diesel exhaust smoke! Paint & detail are on point- especially the Amtrak PhIV “Deep Blue”.

thanks for sharing the photo of an actual PHIV Dash 8! And for more Golden Gate viewliners. As I said, they inspired me and I’ll be getting o-54 curves at a train show on Sunday or online....I signed up to commit for the Budd Amtrak Ph 3 Slumber Coach! Want to get Viewliner II unit(s), which are on stand-by(??), but can’t decide on Phase or type!!

Got these books at a model train show today, the first I've attended since the fall of 2019. I also scored enough corrugated styrene stock to complete my Quonset hut project.

Not sure what I'll do with the cyclopedia, but it was too good a deal to pass up.

It’s great to find a new antique/toys/trains shop. I discovered Toy Town Antiques in Snow Hill MD while on vacation this week. Great building, great store with an impressive amount of real antiques, every type of collectible toy, memorabilia, and a very nice selection of trains. Picked up a nice 6445 Ft Knox Mint car with OB, a very clean 2461 transformer car with OB, and a very nice sign for the train room.

John E K: Great find, tough to find that transformer car with all the insulators still intact.  Had to look up "Snow Hill" found its on the eastern shore.  We lived for 10 years near Leonardtown, MD on the western shore while I worked at Patuxent River Naval Air Station.

Don

John E K, Congratulations! I love that transformer car. As Don said, very hard to find with all the original insulators intact. I just found one myself from an eBay seller in my home state of Michigan.

Thanks Don and Jerry!

Don - I was very surprised how nice Snow Hill is now. It was a sleepy (and slightly run-down) town when I lived on the shore in the mid 1990s. I would recommend a visit to any train or antique enthusiast now.

Jerry- the OB had the original insert and I was happy to confirm the insolators are the stiffer originals.

Odd collection of rolling stock recently received:

1. WWII Fletcher Class Destroyer Boxcar (2138140); I'm collecting the entire series:

2. Chessie Flat Car w/Coils (K-6672):

3. Reading Flat Car w/Rails (L661-1932); probably need to add some more rails; anyone know where I can get some?):

4. Added another "K-Line Loves . . ." boxcar series to my collection (K-515710; so far have 13 of the supposed 19 cars released in the series):

Here's afew items I purchased Sunday at the Hamburg Pa. train meet. The two 2400 green passenger cars I purchased off line, which will complete the fourth set w/an extra car.

Yes. Found one of only 100 boxcars manufactured of Trump “Drain the Swamp.”  I’d post a picture but it would be removed as happened when I posted it in the “Picture a day” string.

Just added to the fleet courtesy of a forum member.

Bob

RSJB18  That is really a neat TOFC car.  D&H is unusual for such a car, did they actually operate their own trucks?

Don

@Don McErlean posted:

RSJB18  That is really a neat TOFC car.  D&H is unusual for such a car, did they actually operate their own trucks?

Don

Just found this image in a quick image search.

Answer to the question is yes.

RSJB18  Thanks for the link, interesting.

Don

I saw a video of the new Lionel South Wind passenger cars online and couldn’t resist picking up one of the 4 car sets... Must. Stop. Buying. 21”. Passenger. Cars

I was not disappointed in the cars. They are really sharp.

And for those of you who like the spacing between your passenger cars to be more prototypical, this set fits the bill.

I ran the set on my O-72 and O-84 curves with no problems (it looks like the kinematic couplers allow the cars ends to swing past each other, avoiding any binding on curves).

The cars look great, Paul!!  They are worth every penny!

All those listed below From train meet in Hamburg, Pa last weekend- very happy with all that I bought and all at great prices!:

Weaver Conrail 50’ Box car(with Box) and Center Flow(one of seller’s first weathering attempts, I’m fine with it)

My favorite acquisition: Lionel 6-28819 Rio Grande GP30 with TMCC, RS, & Odyssey(Circa 03/04). Works like new! First Western TMCC/Legacy or PS2/PS3 loco! Love the paint scheme!

Also New is the tall, gray building in the back. MTH 5 story “Forbes Tower”

Only issue- need the LED headlights between the numberboards don’t work. The LED lights on the nose and rear work as do incandescent marker lights.

Finally- picked up over a loops worth of O-72- obviously some things will have to change on the layout but am excited to be able to expand what I can run!(mainly inspired by the GGD cars that came out recently)

Common baby light my fire!

Morrison's Doors:

Bought it yesterday from my LHS, which recently suffered flood damage.

Behind it will be Whiskey A Go Go. That is where The Doors (my favorite 1960s rock and roll band) got started around 1966/1967 in LA.

Arnold

Love it, Arnold! Are you scratch building the Whisky-a-go-go or is that pre made like the Morrison Doors factory?

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Common baby light my fire!

Morrison's Doors:

Bought it yesterday from my LHS, which recently suffered flood damage.

Arnold

Is your LHS Tom’s Trains and Things in Ardsley?  I was wondering about them with those storms recently. The front is at the bottom of a very steep ramp that probably channels water right in.

I shop there myself sometimes. Sorry to hear that.

@Strap Hanger posted:

Love it, Arnold! Are you scratch building the Whisky-a-go-go or is that pre made like the Morrison Doors factory?

No, it an HO summer stock theater I'm turning into Whiskey a Go Go.  LOL

@Silver Lake posted:

Is your LHS Tom’s Trains and Things in Ardsley?  I was wondering about them with those storms recently. The front is at the bottom of a very steep ramp that probably channels water right in.

I shop there myself sometimes. Sorry to hear that.

Yes, Tom had 18 inches of water but is making great progress fixing the place up. You can visit, but call ahead of time to make sure he's there.

Arnold your dating yourself. Ahh I remember the doors also.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Common baby light my fire!

Morrison's Doors:

Bought it yesterday from my LHS, which recently suffered flood damage.

Behind it will be Whiskey A Go Go. That is where The Doors (my favorite 1960s rock and roll band) got started around 1966/1967 in LA.

Arnold

Nice! I put mine on a siding with the 464 Saw Mill. Have to have your suppliers close by.
The Records and Recruiting store across the street has the entire Doors catalog in stock…vinyl only though.

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

Common baby light my fire!

Morrison's Doors:

Bought it yesterday from my LHS, which recently suffered flood damage.

Behind it will be Whiskey A Go Go. That is where The Doors (my favorite 1960s rock and roll band) got started around 1966/1967 in LA.

Arnold

So......Jim Morrison ........Morrison Doors building .🤔

Love that item Arnold .  I really like that scene . Nice job. 😉

I've looked at that building for a long time now.  Still don't know where I would have room for it . Since it has some interesting areas all the way around it almost seems to need an area where it can be enjoyed in total.      I might have to start enlarging the layout. 🙃

@beardog49 posted:

I took the Marx Pioneer set out for a test run. Balky reverse unit, but that cleared up quickly. It is a real shame about the faded decal on the tender.

The lack of a pilot truck is absurd. Looks really funny when it goes in front of the window, nothing but daylight under the first half of the loco.

I think I will add a pilot truck.

Best, John

I  think the lack of the pilot is part of the charm of this little engine 🤔...............I would just close the blinds on the window  😎 if I was used to engines with pilots.

@Dallas Joseph posted:

So......Jim Morrison ........Morrison Doors building .🤔

Love that item Arnold .  I really like that scene . Nice job. 😉

I've looked at that building for a long time now.  Still don't know where I would have room for it . Since it has some interesting areas all the way around it almost seems to need an area where it can be enjoyed in total.      I might have to start enlarging the layout. 🙃

You are correct, Dallas, about the Morrison's Doors Factory having nice detail on all 4 sides. I had to make some choices in positioning it on my around the walls layout.

I made room for it by removing 3 Plasticville  structures in My Little Town. My plan is to periodically rotate structures, every 6 months to 1 year, in that town on and off the layout.

Another interesting structure I have is a  model on a Lionel Factory that was custom made for some rich guy. I bought it a few months ago at my LHS. Although in O Scale, it is very large and had been in a fire. The fire didn't damage it, but weathered it so I think the fire enhanced its appearance. One day I may try to remove all current structures in My Little Town and replace them with the Lionel Factory. Arnold

E.K   what is that split window thing , the lucky guy with the 45 in the bag is running towards

I need a car show addition !!!

Picked up this Lobster VAT car (gotta' have it if you're in New England) and this Atlas BN caboose - both at the recent TCA show in Hudson, MA, a couple of weeks ago.

@arrsd90 posted:

E.K   what is that split window thing , the lucky guy with the 45 in the bag is running towards

I need a car show addition !!!

That’s his ‘63 Corvette with the split window - a very rare production run by Chevrolet. Only about 275 ever produced. I secured the ultra rare 1/38 Miasto at a Toys R Us in the mid 1990s 😉

Yes, the PW Celebration 2356 Southern ABA

@Arnold D. Cribari posted:

You are correct, Dallas, about the Morrison's Doors Factory having nice detail on all 4 sides. I had to make some choices in positioning it on my around the walls layout.

I made room for it by removing 3 Plasticville  structures in My Little Town. My plan is to periodically rotate structures, every 6 months to 1 year, in that town on and off the layout.

Another interesting structure I have is a  model on a Lionel Factory that was custom made for some rich guy. I bought it a few months ago at my LHS. Although in O Scale, it is very large and had been in a fire. The fire didn't damage it, but weathered it so I think the fire enhanced its appearance. One day I may try to remove all current structures in My Little Town and replace them with the Lionel Factory. Arnold

It seems to be quite the conundrum to rearrange buildings on the layout to make room for something new Arnold. 🤔

Just seems to be so many interesting things that are available on the market  🤓    The longer you enjoy rail modeling the more you want to improve the layout ...........not a bad thing........and lots of fun. 😁

Did you have a photo of the Lionel Factory ?

Just received these parts back from Christine Braden:  (1) Lionel small dome painted Chinese Red for Texas Special train project using LIONEL 15" anodized pax cars w/ custom tint applied by her; and, (2)  Lionel, formerly clear, plastic full length dome "windows" tinted by her for the TS train project.

Christine's painting of these small domes almost feels like a favor since she's frequently doing far more involved projects.  But if she wasn't painting these domes, my airbrush would still be in hibernation after 25+ years.  Painting stopped for me because I couldn't mask the domes and get a decent, let alone good, result for the pax trains I wanted to paint, and had no interest in painting freight cars, steam locomotives, or diesels unless they were pulling a name pax train.

Thank you, Christine.

PS:  My paintwork is NOT marketable -- imperfect; slow; error-prone, etc.  But, I do enjoy it.